US dominates bromine production

According to a new research study from Merchant Research & Consulting, the US is leading in global bromine production.

The global bromine production dwindled in 2015, dropping by 54 thousand tonnes from 667 thousand tonnes in 2014. Currently, the US, the Dead Sea (Israel and Jordan) and China are the three major bromine-producing areas globally.

The USA is estimated to be the top bromine manufacturer, accounting for about 37% of the total global bromine output. As of 2015, the country’s bromine production stood at 225 000 t. At large, nearly 99% of total bromine supply comes from the US, Israel, China, Jordan, and Japan.

In 2015, the bromine market faced shortages of feedstock resulting from the extended labour troubles at one of the biggest bromine producers, ICL Dead Sea.

Application-wise, flame retardants is the main application field for bromine, with a share of about 41%, however, this area saw a decline owing to concerns for the environment, in particularly across Europe Meantime, such application areas as water treatment and oil and gas drilling fluids production keep on gaining fast paced momentum.

Around 70% of the world’s elemental bromine production is used internally by the bromine producers. The USA, China and Japan are the main bromine consumers, together capturing nearly 76% of total demand.

ICL Israel Chemicals Ltd (ICL), and the US-based Albemarle Corporation and Chemtura Corporation are the world’s leading bromine producers; these three companies accounted for close to 80% of the total global production capacity.